Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ Compassion ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

2.

Something changed in her, little after you decided to disappear. She stopped the harshness and the name-calling. She stopped the complete holy-pain-in-the-backside attitude. One day I realized I could tell if she was smiling, even with that damned mask over her face.

After a while she started to use the mask only in day time, in the presence of the guards and foreign people. She was contemplative, as always, but now her treatment of the subordinates demanded the kind of obedience that is based on respect, rather than fear. Gradually she grew in compassion as she grew to a woman. She was brighter every day, like warm sunlight; every day she grew more infused by your essence. I wondered what you did to her; I figured the two of you were up to something…

She used to join Shun and I, as we sat near to the sea shore… contemplating… remembering. She would come, mask off, and sit between him and me. She would take my hand in one of hers, and Shun's in the other, and then smile, her eyes gleaming with unshed tears.

Those tears were for you, do you know that?

Of course you do.

She said she was not ashamed of crying anymore, that compassion in your Saint's hearts made you a happy Goddess. She said you wanted us to be happy too. Oh, Saori! How we missed you! We couldn't stay away from Sanctuary for long, because only by lingering inside its boundaries we felt somehow near to you.

----

I know I always had a soft spot for her, but I never anticipated the way she could shake my world to the core.

So… Ok. In order to give you the whole picture, I'll start from the beginning:

It was about a year since Shun decided to hit the road. He went to find Ikki, or to find himself, or to do who knows what. “I'll be back, Seiya” he mumbled, “but now I have to find…”

“You don't have to make excuses, Shun” I said, and given his expression, there must have been a little bitterness in my voice “everyone else's left, why you wouldn't?”

He always resented my hard words, I should know better. “You know I'll come back, I will”, he said with a resolve that busted my pessimistic intents.

He came back sooner than I expected. Didn't bring Ikki, but neither had he come alone.

After hugging me out of my breath, he said something probably like “Seiya, remember June?” I remembered, yes… a cataleptic, skinny little girl that Shun was carrying in his arms, back in Japan, just before we parted to Sanctuary that first time. She went there to try to dissuade him from the impossible task we were planning. I'm sure he saw her every so often, and so he talked about her… Though he never mentioned how goddamn sexy she has become. I think I muttered something akin to “You lucky bastard”, and then addressed the girl while I brushed my hair with my hand, in a sorry attempt of looking cool. “Nice to see you, miss”.

June said she was going to look for Marin and Shaina, I assumed it was some kind of Female Saint thing, but then she said something about going shopping. I thought I heard wrong (her Greek wasn't very fluid then), but didn't really put attention to her words. I was busy amusing myself with the way Shun stared at her as she took her way.

“So...” I decided it was time to disrupt the trance, “why don't we take a walk so you can give me the updates”.

“Yeah… why not…” He answered absently.

We walked, and he told me about his pointless search for Ikki, and how Queen Death Island was nothing better that what Ikki described. About how he searched and searched, until finally getting to recognize that maybe Ikki didn't want to be found. I think it's more accurate to say he had some sort of epiphany, as a consequence of the fever he picked up in the vicinities of Malaysia. I bet it wobbled his brains really hard, because it would take something major to make Shun give up his mind. Anyway, he told me about how he made it to Andromeda Island, to see how things were going. He found that Athena's peace has reached them somehow, but after the fateful `friendly visits' of the Gold Saints, the islanders were in need of some positive motivation. He decided to stay for a while… and I can say he didn't stay only for the island, for he found June as well.

We reached a shaded spot under a tree, where we could rest and see the sea shore from afar. Shun's sight was lost to the blue waters that sparkled under the insistent light of the sun, I remained silent as well, trying not to spoil the moment. This is something we had, he and I, some sort of silent comprehension between us that must come from the mythological era, don't have another explanation. So we stayed in silence for a while. I was very comfortable just doing that, and when he finally spoke he caught me off my guard.

I recall our conversation going in the line of this:

“Seiya… l… I'm going to marry June.”

“Uh?”

“I said I'm going to…”

“Don't. I heard you the first time.”

“Yes, of course” he amended. “Anyway… I was wondering if you could be our witness. We would be much honored”.

“Me?” I wasn't recovered from the initial shock, and he throws this over me, just like that! “What about Hyoga? I mean, I'm sure he would be upset if you don't include him”.

“He's coming over, and so is Shiryu” He said happily.

I got it then, I was the last one to be informed of this, why I wasn't surprised? I didn't feel like saying anything, but Shun had to insist.

“Well, what do you say?”

“Dunno”

“No?”

“Don't know what to say.”

“Oh… I see.”

And there it was again, that hurt gaze of his… He has no idea of what he does to me… or maybe he does, and always did… not that it matters now. I knew it wasn't being fair and I felt sorry, never wanted to break his heart while he was so candidly handing it to me. “Hmmm, so… you have a date already?” I asked, and his face relaxed again.

“Well…” he started shyly, “I was thinking about… tomorrow”.

Now I had to be hallucinating, or maybe I heard wrong, “What?!” I yelled, my eyes grew wide and I gave him the `are you out of your freaking mind' look.

“I know it's soon, I hope Hyoga and Shiryu can make it… but if they don't, I guess we could wait another day or two…”

“But, Shun! You are what? Sixteen?”

He laughed, lightheartedly, “Seiya, I'm older than you, by a little, but you know I'm not sixteen…”

Well, he was right, but I was too young to be married, and so was he. “OK, but… why the hurry? It's not like we were going to war next week… or the world was coming to its end…” this last came out a bit funny, considering the history of our lives, “unless you knocked her up or something…”

I was waiting him to tell me to shut my trap, or at least to laugh a little, but he remained silent. For a second I froze, hundreds of dreadful images played in my mind: war, desperation… the soil drinking your blood like sweet nectar… and everyone's blood. When I looked closer at him I could see a bit of pink in his cheeks… and he wouldn't look at me. I felt relief washing over me, couldn't help but chuckle, “Oh-my-Goddess… YOU DID!” and then to laugh, “you are sooo pregnant!”

“Seiya!” he scolded, his face was showing such a wide variety of shades of red, it would make the paint store catalog feel mortified. After a good two minutes of scandalous laugh, I managed to calm myself. I was delighted, it has been a while since the last time I laughed a joyous laugh. He turned to me and smiled, he was happy; real happy… his smile always did well to me. This time our silence was a comfortable one, the sun was setting, and the sky was giving us the most amazing display of colored clouds.

“Of course I will be your witness, you are my brother, shouldn't need to ask.”

“Oh, good!” he sighed in relief.

“I'm gonna miss you”. I said, but I was smiling. He had the same right to be happy as the others, just because I was stubborn and could stay away for long; they didn't need to do the same. Now he would leave, and I would stay… this time actually alone. It was just natural, I should see it coming. Although, Gods! It did hurt.

“What do you mean?” He seemed lost.

“Well, when you… you know… go away. To live with her, in your little white house… with the white fence…”

“Oh!” he chuckled, “As a matter of fact, we were planning to come to live here. I supposed you wouldn't mind if we moved to my room... of course I was planning to ask you, I don't want to impose…” and then he started to ramble.

“So you're staying…” I asked just to be sure I got it right.

“Yes, Seiya. I… I have missed you, very much” he said, shyly, “this is how it's been for a long time… I mean, just you and I… I couldn't just leave you here by yourself… if you are Ok with it.”

“Hm. Let me ponder this for a moment” I made a fake thoughtful face, “it would be you, the missus, the little shrieking bundle of joy… and I. Guess I could live with that.” His smile was so wide this time, and his joy was contagious. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, and thankful for having him as my brother. I jumped closer to him, held his neck with my left arm while I ruffled his hair with my right fist, roughly. “Shy little Shun is getting married! What a wacked world!” I said, and laughed some more.

“Stop it, Seiya!” He complained, but then he laughed too.

---

The next day Hyoga made his appearance. A loner as he always has been, he didn't want to talk about his life in the Big Old Ice. He looked fine; the scar in his right eye was starting to fade. Or maybe I couldn't see it anymore `cause every time I saw him his head was higher above. I mean, he was over twenty then, wasn't it about time he stopped growing taller? I guess he didn't get the `please stop growing' notice… and it was starting to get on my nerves.

That same afternoon Shiryu arrived, I must confess it was very nice to see him. At his side were lovely Sunrei and their cheerful little boy Long. We all had a very nice evening at my place, talking and remembering old times. It was so good to be together, it has been a long time.

The wedding was the next day. It was a very simple and private ceremony at the hall of the neighboring town. They were a stunning couple; neither of the two needed much fixing to look like models in a fashion magazine cover, with the small difference of this pair being genuinely happy. But the truth is I barely can remember anything, something else was capturing my attention.

Marin and Shaina were there. Marin's attire included a very discreet and formal costume, and her mask. It was the first time I saw her in this kind of clothes, but it wasn't something I couldn't manage. Shaina was a much different thing… Oh, Goddess Dear. She was wearing this light blue, sleeveless dress. I swear to all the Gods (except for you) that I wasn't trying to figure it out, but the fabric was clinging to her body in a way that should be forbidden by law. She seemed to be a little smaller, even with her hair up, showing the entire length of her neck. Later on I figured it was because of her low-heeled sandals. I think she wasn't very comfortable, maybe she was counting on that no one in town (except for us) would recognize her that way. I guess she only appeared because June asked her, and she couldn't let a fellow Female Saint down. Or maybe she was just trying to drive me crazy. Either way she was successful.

I, instead, failed miserably. I pretended to be attentive at the pair of love doves exchanging their vows. I tried to follow the events with my heart in it, and I recall signing something and I just hope I managed to write my own name correctly. I tried not to stare shamelessly at her, but it was all pointless. Shiryu and Hyoga were exchanging amused looks, and I could tell it wasn